On 19 March 2026, Katharina Zindel, a former research assistant on the Design programme, successfully defended her doctoral thesis. She is thus the first person to be awarded a PhD in Design Studies at the Kunsthochschule Kassel.
The doctoral thesis was produced within the Department of Theory and Practice of Design. Entitled „Narrative Praktiken der Produktkommunikation von Influencer:innen in den sozialen Medien am Beispiel des übergeordneten Narrativs ‚Authentizität‘“, Zindel’s work focused on the analysis of digital communication strategies. She examined how influencers employ design techniques to create an impression of authenticity.
The dissertation will soon be published as a book and will shortly be available for loan from the library at the Kunsthochschule Kassel.